Anyways, some pet blogger friends and I had this conversation a while ago, and I’ve been meaning to write about it but kept putting it off. Part of me was like, Well, who really cares what you think about this topic. And part of me was like, Let’s not wade into that pond.

But, honestly? I’m kinda tired of seeing people picked on for how they choose to label themselves.

And, you guys, the comments that show up out there are just plain mean.

“Pet parenting” felt slightly too anthropomorphic for my taste. There are real risks to our pets’ well-being if we treat them like and expect them to be wired like and to behave like tiny humans. On the other side of that coin, “owner” implies Cooper is like my bike or my kitchen table.

Plus, I never felt like my animals were my children, but rather my friends. My partners.

Not that any of that matters to how you think of yourself with your pets.

Of course, now I do have a tiny human, and she’s just the greatest thing around. But she’s also made me realize just how similar caring for animals is to caring for tiny humans in a handful of key ways:

As the parent, you spend an inordinate amount of time dealing with effluvia. Dogs with midnight diarrhea and babies with midnight diaper blowouts share a lot in common. Puke becomes a way of life (Newt.) and you deal with it and move on.

I mentioned earlier that dogs aren’t tiny humans. However, they have to live in a human world and therefore have to behave appropriately. It’s on me to teach my crew how to behave. While Violet is a tiny human, she didn’t come programmed with things like… not snatching a library book out of another kid’s hands or not throwing food during breakfast, among others. It’s on me to teach them all what is (and isn’t’) appropriate.

They get bored easily. All of them. Toys (everyone), activities (Violet and Cooper), laser chase (cats and Violet), outside stuff (everyone), and Mama’s fifteenth consecutive performance of Itsy Bitsy Spider (Violet) can usually get us to lunchtime… but they all need enrichment and stimulation.

Grooming–hair, nails, and teeth–is an attempt to clean something that’s actively trying to run away from you.

Last week, we were at Target picking up more wipes and milk and whatever else leads you to spend $100 when you only went in to buy two things…

Violet decided that she was going to clip the two pieces of the seat belt in the cart’s child seat. She had one piece of the buckle in each hand and was bashing them together because, you see, Violet doesn’t yet have the fine motor skills to actually accomplish that feat. So, I waited a minute while she bashed, and then I so-very-innocently said, “Would you like some help?” As I reached forward to snap the buckle together for her, Violet. lost. it.

Toddlers are an interesting breed.

She wanted the buckle clicked, but she couldn’t do it herself, but she didn’t want help, but she wanted the buckle clicked, but she couldn’t do it herself, so…. vicious cycle and meltdown.

In that moment, you know what I thought?

This is a lot like Coopsie seeing a dog across the street out on a walk!

He loves to play with other dogs. He can’t figure out how to behave when he sees one though. So he goes bananas, but then he doesn’t get to meet the other dog because he’s going bananas and so he gets frustrated and escalates the bananas until he’s on his back legs barking and crying his face off…

Violet doesn’t get the seatbelt clicked; Cooper doesn’t get to play with other dogs.

And then there’s me, standing there, waiting out their fit so we can move on with our shopping/walk.

If you consider yourself a pet owner, that’s cool, too. In the end, it doesn’t matter. And not that you guys are any of the ones leaving the nasty, judgey comments, but when you’re navigating the internet and see someone label themselves as something different from you, remember that that’s totally fine. You’re not that person, right? So it’s not up to you to judge how they label themselves!

Discussions are cool–feel free to share your thoughts, ideas, or your own labels in the comments below–but mean, judgmental snark is uncool. Just do you, boo, and let others do them, too!

So, let’s hear it: Why do YOU call yourself with your pets? Are you a pet parent? A pet owner? Do you have a special name (like, Emmett and Lucas always “called” us Lady and Man)?

This post is inspired by Modern Mrs. Darcy’s linkup. If you love books, you need to read her blog! It’s like having a conversation over coffee with a friend who happens to be a librarian.

Winter.

It’s getting old, you guys. But, today’s the halfway point, so the end–and sunshine–is in sight!

Each winter requires a handful of practical staples to see it through physically: warm boots, wool mittens, a shovel, pet-safe deicer. Ruffwear boots for Cooper and–new this year–snow pants for Violet.

Each winter also requires a handful of staples to see it through emotionally. This post is about those.

OhMyDogBlog.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Firewood

While not a necessity by any means, a crackling fire is a luxury. There is literally nothing in the winter I love more than curling up with the animals, a good book, and a steaming cup of coffee (you know, unless it’s nighttime, then swap the coffee for a glass of wine).

Digital Checkouts

I’ve done so much reading this winter, which tends to be the trend since I’m not tempted to be outside (see: curled up in front of the fire above). Most recently I finished Upstream by Mary Oliver. I’m currently in 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (my jury’s way out on this one). Next up is Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown and Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell. But, if you’re looking for a book rec, let me know! I’ve read so many good ones these past few months! (And a couple duds.)

The Giant Box

So, I ordered a new litter box on Amazon because Ripley had a significant kicking-litter-everywhere problem that was making me nuts. When it arrived, it was in the BIGGEST box ever. Seriously, this is the litter box I ordered, and the box it came in could’ve fit at least three of them. I tend to get annoyed at excess packaging, but then the box took on a life of its own. Cats, dog, and baby all enjoy it immensely. It’s proven to be quite the showstopper in our living room, giving us something else fun to do while we’re stuck inside! (And if you want to hear a baby shrieking hysterically in a box with a cameo by Ripley, I’ve got you covered: here.)

Coconut Oil

Every night at dinner, the cats and Cooper get a scoop each of coconut oil mixed into their food. It’s supposed to help with digestion, skin and coat health, and more. Well, when I scoop it onto the spoon and use my finer to scrape the solid oil into their bowls, I wind up with coconut oil on my fingers… which I started rubbing into my hands like lotion! It’s like a skin treatment every evening! (BTW, I’ve had a few people ask me if it’s a special kind or brand. Nope! I buy the kind that comes in a glass jar instead of the plastic one, and Newt prefers the refined to the unrefined. Otherwise, get whatever’s on sale!)

Pacifica Face Lotion

Related to coconut oil: Does your skin go bonkers in the winter? I’m so tired of my skin being super dry. Especially walking Coop… everything is covered except my face, which gets red and cracked. So, confession: When I was looking for a face cream, I really thought this said Winter Repair, and I was like, “OMG! That’s what I need!” Only later did I realize it’s called Water Repair, but whatever. It works. And it’s cruelty free and doesn’t have parabens and all that other yucky stuff you don’t want on your skin. The only thing is… it’s made with coconut water. The animals, as noted above, eat coconut oil every day. Ergo, they all want to lick. my. face. after I apply.

Coffee, Coffee, Coffee

No explanation needed. Just send more.

My Plant Window

This is the view from my desk. It feels, I don’t know, springy. It brings a bit of the outdoors in, brightens up my view, and makes me feel like new life–plants, trees, flowers, birds!–is right around the corner.

Hiking!!

We’ve had a handful of days in the past two weeks where temps got above freezing, so out we went! We all needed the fresh air, and I needed to get out of the house. It was lovely!

Still… I’m counting down the days until spring springs!

What about you? What’s saving YOUR life right now, as we hit the halfway point of winter?

Do you guys do this? You get so many ideas and lists and to dos going in your head, but each time one gets crossed off another dozen crop up. Cross those off, and somehow there are even more.

Or the list gets so long you just end up staring out the window.

That’s not just me, is it?

My brain is rotten. #fact

I recently downloaded this worksheet called “Loose Ends Brain Dump 2016.” The goal of the sheet is to get everything out of your head that’s rattling around and down onto paper. It’s a simple list, but on the right side of each line are four circles: Completed, Scheduled, Recorded, and–this one knocked my socks off–Let go.

Let go.

Dogs serve as amazing role models for that, don’t they?

So, let go. That’s sort of the theme, the concept that’s swirling around in my head right now. 2016 was a shit year, I think for many of us, and I’m ready to let go. Move on. Make progress.

It’s fashionable this last week of the year for bloggers to recap the preceding year… but I kinda don’t wanna.

It feels anti-let-go.

This is also anti-let-go but in a fun way:

I will say that my top posts this year have been consistent. Every single week, the most trafficked posts are the posts I’ve shared about Cooper’s head tremors, indoor activities for winter boredom, and the recent DIY bitter apple spray.

As much I love telling stories and strive to be a storyteller in this space, I’m thrilled to be able to provide a service to those people who are looking for answers. I hope my work helps!

All that said, my plan for 2017 is to let go of five things:

Let go of training goals designed to “make” Cooper more comfortable doing things I want him to do (like, going out in public…) and focus instead on training that makes him happy and improves our bond. And running. Lots more running.

Let go of feeling sad when Emmett falls and focus instead on gratitude that he’s here and he’s happy.

Let go of those super long lists that never get any smaller. (Honestly, this is a pipe dream. But. I’ll try?)

Let go of wasting time scrolling and refreshing the internet and focus instead on time with my family.

Let go of guilt for missing the mark on any of the above. Well. Try to. Or think about it, anyway.

Not much of a year-end recap, eh? 🙂

I’ll be back next week with stories and more! We have some big news coming in 2017, plus I want to share some of the details about points 1 and 2 above… running and training with Coop, Emmett’s acupuncture, and so on.

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed like I have, I encourage you to make a “Let Go” list, too. See if that alleviates some of the burden.

How did that happen? Seriously, I feel like I was just dozing on the couch ringing in the new year. And, yet, here we are. March.

And it’s light out after work again, thank goodness!

This March, I’m determined to come out of our haze. It was easy to slip away from blogging and writing and, really, just being. Being mindful, being productive, being grateful. We had the cocoon of winter to protect us from the loss of Lucas. We had the chaos of moving and painting and cleaning and unpacking to distract from meaningful work. An email from a kind reader friend helped snap me out of it, along with a list of blog posts I’m itching to write. Warning: Soap boxy rant posts ahead, including a doozy I’m hoping to finish for Friday.

I actually dove into those waters with my pit bull post last week but was quickly knocked off my productive course when–within 24 hours of publishing–it had been scraped (i.e. stolen) by three other sites. So, filing claims and whining and so on took up a bit of that brain space.

Then we got some fish. Dalmatian mollies, to be exact. We asked the fish person at the pet store for all of one gender–no hanky panky happening in our fish tank! She gave us three females. They’re so pretty. Turns out, they were also so pregnant. So, yeah. No hanky panky, but that doesn’t matter if they’re already knocked up. A story for another day.

Oh! And then Otto, of course (the “fat” in the title–ha!). He ended up leaving us at 21.3 pounds, a perfectly respectable weight, according to his vet. Now we just have to hope my parents keep up with no junky snacks and extra exercise!

As part of the haze-ditching efforts, I’m also committed to 30 days of dog walks in March. (I know there are 31 days. I giving myself a day of wiggle room, just in case.) We’ve gotten lax with bad weather and a nice yard, and Cooper’s behavior has suffered. So, I got myself some pawprint stickers to mark walks on my calendar–out of curiosity, are any of you as motivated by stickers as I am?!?! the prospect of earning a sticker is real motivation for me!–and the Universe tested my mettle on March 1 when it was snow/raining and 22 degrees. But we did it and I got my sticker!

And that, my friends, is where we are this month. Except the “fun” thing in the title! Heads up: I’ll be sending out my newsletter (remember that?!?!) very soon with a prize giveaway I’m stoked about. Hint: It’s a new book about a dog, and I loved every dang sentence, beginning to end.

Tomorrow Emmett and I heard to Purdue for his next round of oncology checkups. Think happy thoughts, pretty please!

That’s it for me! How are you? How are your dogs? Are you all emerging from winter??

(Sorry, Mom. He is. You said not to make fun of him… I’m not. Just stating facts. Though he may have acquired a few new size-related nicknames…)

Anyway, Otto is my mom’s dog, and they’re out of town for a few weeks. The poor guy has an eye injury that requires medication four times a day. And the cone.

Despite the eye issue, Otto is one of the easiest dogs in the world to dog sit. Second only to Cady. He’s laid back, easy going, friendly, playful, and–in typical Little Dog fashion–Velcro. He’s decided to adhere himself to John’s pantleg for this visit, trotting along behind him wherever John goes. Up to the office. Down to the coffee pot. Out to the garage. Back up to the office. Otto just prances behind John, waits wherever John sits/stops/settles, then prances behind him when he gets up again later.

In fact, as I type this, John had to leave to go to a meeting downtown, and Otto… well… he lost his pant leg.

Sorry, little one. It’s going to be a few hours…

The first night Otto came home with us, John weighed him: 24 pounds. He’s a very big little dog. We committed to dropping some of that weight off of him for the three weeks he’s here. Better portion control of his dog food. No people food sneaked under the table. More exercise.

That last piece–the exercise–has magnified beyond just walks and vigorous games with the rope toy because, who would’ve thought, Otto loves to chase Newt.

Poor Newt.

But here’s a funny side effect of Otto’s pursuit of the cat: She’s decided that Cooper is her defender. Today, he was chewing on an antler in the kitchen, and she was sitting behind him… because Otto was flinging his rope around. At night it’s more pronounced. As everyone settles in, she creeps closer and closer to Coop. {Sorry it’s blurry… I was trying to be stealthy and quiet so as not to disturb…}

And when Coop’s not around? Emmett’s the brother on deck!

And, yes, there’s been an awful lot of napping around here! I think throwing Otto into the mix has increased the amount of play among the troops 10 fold. Look at that pile of chew toys strewn about!

Of course, play hard… nap harder…

So, we’re going to stay focused on shedding some of his excess while preventing more Newt torment. He got here 10 days ago and weighed 24. Today he’s at 23. One pound doesn’t seem like much, but on a little guy, I’m chalking it up as progress. I think he goes home in roughly 10 days… think we can get another pound off of him?

With all this plus regular work and some other craziness, I’ve been distracted. I have a ton of really great stuff coming up, including an awesome book review and giveaway, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, I hope you’re having a wonderful week! Feel free to place bets in the comments on whether or not we can get Otto to drop at least another pound!!